Steel railroad-tie.



P. J. BEAUDBTTE & F. L. SNOWDON.

STEEL RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 190s.

Patented Feb.16, 1909.

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col, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFCE.

FREDERICK J. BEAUDET'rn AND raaivk L. sNowDoN, or oumnnsnc, meint-env.

STEEL RAILROAD-TIE.

Application filed September 29, 1908.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Fnnnnmoi; J. BEAU- nn'r'rn and FRANK L. Sxownox,citizens of the United States, residing at Quinnesec, in the county ofDickinson and State of Michigan, have invented' certain new and usefulImprovements in Steel Railroad-Ties; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the saine.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway tiesand fasteners therefor, and it is primarily an object of the inventionto provide a novel device of this character which will permit the readyapplication of the rail.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device of thischaracter including a positive fastening means for the rail.

Furthermore, the invention has for its object to provide a fastening'means for the rail includingl a rail-engaging member, a wedge acting inconjunction therewith, and means acting in conjunction with therailengaging member, and the wedge, for holding the wedge againstdisplacement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device of thischaracter which will be simple in construction, etlicient andadvantageous in practice, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists .in thedetails of construction, and in the novel arrangement and combination ofparts, to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of the specification, wherein likecharacters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views,and in Which- Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a fragment of a tieshowing a rail secured thereto. Fig. is a `view partly in sideelevation, and partly in section of a tie and rail secured thereto. Fig.3 is an enlarged view in per spective of the rail-engaging memberdetached. Fig. 4 is anenlarged view in perspective of thewedge-retaining member, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in perspective ofthe Wedge. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective Specification of LettersPatent.

detached, of a modified form of railengag Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 455,312.

ing member, and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in top plan of a tieillustrating the form of opening therein used when the "ailengagingmember illustrated in Fig. 6, is employed.

in the drawings, l denotes a tie formed of any desired material, saidtie being of approximately the same dimensions as the ties ordinarilyused, said tie being' hollow. ly having the tie hollow, it serves as aculvert, and thereby reduces to a minimum the possibility of wash-outsincident to heavy rains. The rail 2 has its face resting in a depressedportion 3, in the top of the tie, said depressed portion 3 holding therail against spreading, as is thought to be obvious. The top of the tieis also provided with the openings el, said openings being positionedadjacent the depressed portion 3, and in close proximity to thelongitudinal edges thereof. lnsertibly within the openings 4 is therail-engaging member 5, which has a head portion (3, which overlies thebase of the rail, as is particularly shown in Fig.

lt. is also provided with the lower projection T. which contacts withthe under surface of the top of the tie. The outer face of the body 5adjacent its lower end, is provided with a transverse groove 8, intowhich projects the angular end 9 of a key l0, said key l() being formedof a yieldable or bendable material.

In applying the device, the .engaging member 5 is inserted within anopening 4, but previous to this insertion the angular end of the key l()is inserted within the groove 8, as

thought to be obvious. After this insertion, the wedge l1 is forcedwithin the opening 4, said wedge causing the retaining member 5 tosnugly bear against the base of the rail and elfectually hold it inposition. After the wedge has been properly driven the projected end ofthe key 10 is bent as at 12, over the top of the wedge and therebyetfectually holds the wedge against displacement. As shown in Fig. 3, ithas also been found of great advantage to tend the head 6 of theengaging member 5 beyond said body laterally, as indicated at 13. Thisarrangement affords a larger' area of contact with the base of the rail,as is believed to be obvious.

In Fig. G is shown a slightly modified form of rail-engaging member,this member 11i having the laterally extended portions 15 at the basethereof, and the forwardly extending projection 7 as in Fig. 3, isomitted. `When this latter form of rail-engaging memvber is employed itis necessary that the longitudinal edges of the opening 16 he enlargedas at 1T, in order that the member l-t may be readily inserted throughsaid opening.

n practice it has been found necessary that only tivo of the fasteningmeans need he used with the rail, said fastening means being in diagonalrelation. Four openings however, are mede in order to meet any possibility or contingencies that may arise.

le claim:

In combination With a hollow tie having openings in a t'ace thereof, ofa fastening means insertihle Within said openings, Said fastening mennecomprising` a rail-engaging means, said rail-engaging means having agroove, a liey extending Within said groove,

'and a Wedge7 said key extending above the Wedge to contact With the topthereof.

In testimony Whereoi` We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK J. BEAUDETTE. FRANK L. SNOVVDON. Vitnesses JosnPi-i J. BUNDY,HARRY Smoooii.

